10 Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do in St. Paul and St. Louis Park, Minnesota

I recently visited the cities of Saint Paul and Saint Louis Park in Minnesota and couldn’t wait to tell you all about it. My days were packed with good food, great shopping and entertainment, and the best part was the wheelchair accessibility. Accessibility was easily manageable and readily available in all locations that I visited. So, let’s dive right in and see why I loved this area so much! 

From rolling on accessible trails to checking out a baseball game and SO much more, there are a plethora of fun and accessible things to do in both St. Paul and St. Louis Park. Here are 10 of my favorite must-visit attractions and things to do in the area –

Wheelchair Accessible St. Paul and St. Louis Park Attractions & Things to Do

Get outdoors at Westwood Hills Nature Center

After visiting the charming city of Alexandria, Minnesota for a few days (read all about my accessible Alexandria trip here), we drove a short two hours and found ourselves in St. Louis Park, Minnesota! Our first stop in St. Louis Park was the Westwood Hills Nature Center. 

The Westwood Hills Nature Center consists of 160 acres of natural landscape and includes marsh, wooded areas, and restored prairie. This nature center has a wonderful interpretive center/museum that you can explore, but the real highlight of the Westwood Hills Nature Center is the 2+ miles of accessible trails! 

The trails include paved areas, wooden boardwalk, and crushed concrete paths. They surround Westwood Lake. I was able to easily roll on all of the different trail terrains and this was honestly one of the best trail systems I’ve ever seen as a wheelchair user. 

I was tremendously impressed with the accessibility at Westwood Hills Nature Center and absolutely loved rolling in the great outdoors in this gorgeous area. It is completely free to explore both the interpretive center and the trails, so put this at the top of your list of wheelchair accessible things to do in St. Louis Park! 

Go scuba diving (and more) at REM5 Virtual Reality Lab

If you are looking for an exciting social experience, look no further than REM5 Virtual Reality Lab. I had so much fun spending the evening here enthralling myself in the world of virtual reality and forgetting all the stressors of everyday life. 

Located just minutes from downtown Minneapolis in St. Louis Park, this virtual reality experience will leave you wanting to come back and explore more of the VR world time and time again. There are tons of options of games and experiences to choose from and it is easily accessible to roll around inside the building. I enjoyed scuba diving and playing on Google Earth in VR, and I only jumped once as a shark approached me! 

The staff is very friendly and willing to assist with the gaming devices as needed. I loved my time here and found it to be a nice environment and a great way to spend the afternoon. They are open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so what better way to hang out with your friends and take a break on the weekend?! 

Shop and dine at the Shops at West End

I could not love the Shops at West End any more! It is such a fun and beautiful shopping, entertainment, and dining area, and it has easy curb cuts and wheelchair access around the whole place. They offered indoor parking as well and had plenty of accessible parking spots available to choose from. 

The Shops at West End are located in St. Louis Park and  it is an experience like no other. Here, you will find an array of options, from locally owned boutiques to nationally known brands, from bars and restaurants to salons, spas, and even a large theatre for catching those blockbuster hits. 

While here, I enjoyed a delicious meal at Rojo Mexican Grill. They offer indoor and outdoor dining and scrumptious Mexican food. I had some shrimp tacos for my entree and they were fantastic, but I’m willing to bet that you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.

See beautiful art at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

I visited the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and admired dozens of pieces of art. It is completely free to explore the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and there are smooth paths throughout, making it easy to navigate with a wheelchair. There is also an open parking area with several accessible spots and easy curb cuts to access the sculpture areas. 

At the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, you will also find the most iconic photo op in the entire Minneapolis area, the Spoonbridge and Cherry. If you have ever seen photos of Minneapolis you have probably seen this epic sculpture, so don’t miss an opportunity for that special selfie. 

Nerd out (in a good way) at the Science Museum of Minnesota 

I’m usually not a huge fan of museums, but the Science Museum of Minnesota is beyond awesome! I spent a few hours exploring here and it’s one of the most interactive/fun museums I’ve ever visited, no doubt about it. 

There are a variety of exhibits, from space travel to dinosaurs to math and so much more. I also enjoyed a couple shows during my visit. I watched “Into America’s Wild” in the Omnitheater. The Omnitheater is like an IMAX theater, but bigger because it’s domed. The film played in front of me, above my head, and to the far sides. I really felt like I was in the movie at times… it was so cool! Admission to the Omnitheater is a separate cost, but I also watched the “Storms on Stage” show in the Science Live Theatre, which is included in the museum’s admission price. It was a great show and we even got to see lightning and a tornado be created on stage! 

Accessibility at the Science Museum of Minnesota was fantastic! Personal care attendants have free admission (when visiting with a client) and a family restroom is available on level 4. You can also request to use the adult changing facility if needed, which is located on the second level of the museum. 

View hundreds of animals at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory 

Zoos are always fun to visit, while in St. Paul, I visited the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. I loved seeing all of the different animals! I saw gorillas, giraffes, zebras, and so much more. 

Accessibility here was really good for the most part. I was able to easily roll around on the paved paths, but some of them were a bit on the steep side. My power wheelchair handled it all well, but if you use a manual chair, it could be a bit more difficult in certain areas. 

Perhaps best of all, it’s completely free to visit this zoo & conservatory! Reservations are required though, but you can make them online in just a couple minutes. The Como Park Zoo is open every day of the week from 10am-6pm.

Admire stunning architecture at the Minnesota State Capitol

The Minnesota State Capitol building is stunning to view both inside and out, and tours of the Capitol are completely free! I was excited to participate in the guided tour and found it to be very wheelchair-friendly (minus the roof that I couldn’t access). 

As the rest of my tour group took the gorgeous stairways to the next level during our tour, I was able to take the elevator and it was so elaborate. It was the most beautifully designed elevator that I have seen and the ride was so enjoyable and spacious. I also noticed a companion care restroom in the Capitol, which I was happy to see. 

Tours last about 45 minutes and are a must-do while in St. Paul! I loved learning about the interesting history of Minnesota’s capital city.

Devour a Juicy Lucy burger 

If you have never heard of Minnesota’s iconic Juicy Lucy burger, you are missing out! This is probably the most delicious burger of all time as the cheese is stuffed inside the hamburger meat instead of on top. When you bite into this mouth-watering delight, the cheese just seems to explode in your mouth bite after bite. 

There are several restaurants around the Twin Cities with this iconic burger, but I chose to enjoy it at Blue Door Pub. Here, their slogan is “Home of the Blucy”. Get it? Blue door, Juicy Lucy? And they also serve a blue cheese version of this amazingly tasty treat. 

I have to admit, “delicious” doesn’t even do this burger justice! Oh, and the appetizer of cheese curds were probably the best cheese curds I have ever eaten, so be sure to get them. Mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about this place!

Visit the Bell Museum’s planetarium

Located on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus in Saint Paul, the Bell Museum is Minnesota’s official natural history museum and planetarium. It is fully wheelchair accessible with accessible parking spots available in the on-site parking lot and full accessibility inside. 

You can easily spend several hours here exploring the cosmic displays of the universe in a domed theatre, or enjoying the Touch and See Lab with fossils dating back 10,000 years. Your senses will be intrigued as you roll through the displays of plants, animals, and the diversity of life in Minnesota. 

The Bell Museum is an educational and fun museum to visit and is a must-do if you are in the area. Plan at least a couple hours to enjoy everything that the museum has to offer. 

Watch a St. Paul Saints baseball game 

If you are lucky enough to be in the Saint Paul area during baseball season, you don’t want to miss a visit to the Saint Paul Saints baseball game. This was one of my favorite activities that I did, and I’m not even really a baseball fan. Saint Paul Saints games are just that fun! Parking does fill up fast around the stadium though, so go early and claim you an accessible spot near the gates. 

On the day of my visit, I had a whole buffet included in my ticket price with unlimited wine, beer, food, and soft drinks in the Securian Club on level 2, complete with air conditioning and a family restroom. If you want to go all out, the Securian Club is definitely the place to be! 

After filling up with delicious food, I then ventured down the elevator to the field seats and sat in the wheelchair section seats in the full shade with an awesome breeze blowing. I could’ve watched the game from the Securian Club, but it felt so good outside that I wanted to venture around. And what a perfect day it was for some baseball! 

I also looked around the stadium for a sighting of the actor, Bill Murray, who also happens to be part owner of the St. Paul Saints. He frequents the stadium a lot and has even been seen giving out programs, but unfortunately, I didn’t see him. Maybe next time!

Where to Stay in St. Paul  

If you’re visiting St. Paul, Minnesota, you may want to choose to stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown St. Paul. It’s in a great area right in the middle of downtown and just a short drive away from all of St. Paul’s top attractions.

My wheelchair accessible room at the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown St. Paul had two queen beds with enough clearance underneath for a hoyer lift. If you use a hoyer lift, you know how rare that is to find these days. They were also a good height for self-transferring, not too short or too tall. My accessible room was on the ground floor as well and just a quick roll away from the lobby. 

In my bathroom, there was a great roll-in shower, a pull-under sink, and there were grab bars by the toilet. The bathroom really couldn’t have been any better for my accessibility needs.

As you can see, Saint Paul and Saint Louis Park, Minnesota have so many awesome things to see and do that your itinerary will be action-packed. I loved my time here and found it to be a very wheelchair accessible destination to visit. I am already planning my return trip and can’t wait to enjoy even more of what they have to offer!

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*Thank you to Explore Minnesota for working with me on this trip and showing me the best of wheelchair accessible St. Paul and St. Louis Park Minnesota! While my experiences were complimentary, all opinions expressed are authentic and my own.

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